Exhaust box and cooker



C. J. 'PUGH May 5, 1925.

EXHAUST BOX AND COOKER Filed Nov. 20, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet l C/l'fford I7 019 May '5, 1.925.

C. J. PUGH EXHAUST BOX AND COOKER Filed Nov. 20, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 2C/ffford P013 7 Mommy QQOOUQBQBQIOQ09006.0. 600

a naocaaaoo BOOQDI a (3. J. PUGH May 5,".1925.

EXHAUST B OX A ND COOKER File'd Nov. 0, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 c. J. PUGHEXHAUST BOX AND COOKER May 5, 1925.

Filed Nov. 20, 1922 4 Sheets-Shaet 4 6 Ill II w/z 1 III/l 1J1 (EM/00mmClifford %6 III III/ l/IY arm Patented May 5, 1925.

UNITED STATES omrronn J. rnen,

OF SALEM, OREGON.

EXHAUST BOX AND COOKER.

Application filed November 20, 1922. Serial No. 602,080.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it. known that I, CLIFFORD J. PUGH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Salem, in the county of Marion and State of Oregon, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Exhaust Boxes andCookers, of which the following is a specificatiomreference being had tothe accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain improvements in exhaust boxes andcookers and has relation more particularly to a device of this generalcharacter especially designed and adapted for use in connection with thecanning industry for the purpose of preheating fruit or the like beforethe operation of sealing the cans.

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel and improved deviceof this general character embodying a box provided with heating meanstogether with a conveyor travelling through said boxes wherein means isprovided for the requisite delivery of cans or the like upon theconveyor for travel through the box and means for con veying said cansor the like out of the box Another object of the invention is to providea novel and improved device of this general character embodying aconveyor travelling through the box together with means for carrying thecans or the like within the box and wherein additional means areautomatically operated at predetermined intervals to cause the cans orthe like admitted within the box to pass upon the conveyor for travelthrough the box.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in thecombination and arrangementof the several parts of my im proved exhaustbox whereby certain important advantages are attained and the devicerendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenient andadvantageous for use, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The novel features of my invention will hereinafter be definitelyclaimed.

In order that my invention may be the better understood, I will nowproceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a View in side elevation with portions broken away of anexhaust box constructed in accordance with an embodiment' of myinvention; 7

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view in eleva- Figure 4 is an enlargedfragmentary View partly in plan and partly in section of the mechanismarranged at the receiving end of the box; 1

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of the structureillustrated in Fig ure 4;

Figure 6 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of themechanism for operating a plunger as comprised in the present invention;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view in perspective of the structureillustrated in Figure 6 together with additional mechanisms associatedtherewith.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view in elevation illustrating in detail thedriving means for the disks;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional view gf the structure at thedelivery end of the Figure 10 is a fragmentary view partly in top planand partly'in section of the delivery end of the structure;

Figure 11 is a fragmentaryview in per spective clearly illustrating thescreen element arranged within the box; and

Figure 12 is a view in cross section of the structure as illustrated inFigure 11.

As disclosed in the accompanying drawings, B denotes a box or housing ofpredetermined dimensions and which is supported at a desired elevationby the legs 1 arranged at the opposite ends of the device.

Travelling along and Within the lower portion of the box B is the upperstretch of an endless conveyor C travelling in the direction asindicated by the arrow at in Figure 1 of the drawings. G passes aroundthe drums 2 and 3 positioned adjacent the opposite ends of the box andprovided with the shafts a rotatably supported by the bearings 5 carriedby the supporting legs 1. conveyor O has contact with the idler rollers6 arranged below said upper stretch whereby the portion of the conveyorC within the box is caused to move in substantially a fixed path oftravel and without sagging. The lower portion of the con- This conveyorI The upper stretch of the gaged a worm carried by the shaft 16:

Theshafb 16 extends longitudinally of the box B and is supported by theadjacent legs 1. The shaft 16 is also provided with means, such as apulley 17, for driving the same, saidpulley being herein;disclosed aspositioned. adjacent to the delivery or discharge end of the box B.

The shaft 16 is; in drivingconnection as at'18 with a-transverselydisposed shaft 19 of. a length; toextend beyond-the opposite side of thebox B. The opposite-end 1301*.

tionof the shaft; 19 isoin driving connec tion asat 20 with aroller'21', said roller 21 beingdisposed transversely'ofthe box andpositioned betweenthe upper portion of: the drum- 2 and the discharge ordelivery runway 22 within the box, said runway 22 leading to a deliveryopening 23, provided at one side-walloftthe box B.- The roller 21isirotated in a direction to facilitate the passage from the upperstretch of the con veyor Cto'the runway 22 of the cans or containerscarried by the upper stretch of the conveyor. The cansor othercontainers received upon the runway'22 are caused to pass; outwardlythrough the opening 23 through theinstruinentality of the endlessCl'lELlILQl arranged edgewise and travelling along the runway 22and'passing outwardly through the opening. 23.

A stretch 1 of the chain 24 passes througha center; slot, of the runway22 to assure theproper functioning.- of the chain 24. The chain24.;isflcl-isposed around the sprockets-25' supported at oppositesidesof the box B51 the sprocket 25 at the sidcof the box; provided with thedelivery opening 23 being carried by a vertically disposed shaft-26- indriven connection as at 27 with theshaft 19 hereinbefore referred to,said connection 27 being herein shown as a coacting worm and worm wheel.

The. runway 22- may extend a suitable distance beyond'the box B andthecans or the containers disposed on said extended portion of the runwayare adapted to be delivered to a suitable sealing mechanism.

A side wall of the box. B adjacent the endthereotremote from the runway.22 is, provided'with an entrance opening 28 with which. is associated arunway 29, said runway extending transversely through the box B andhaving an extended portion 30, the outer longitudinal marginal portionsof the extended portion of the runway being provided with outstandingguide flanges 31.

The runway 29 and the extended portion 30 are provided at substantiallytheir transverse centers With a slot 32 through which traverses astretch of an endless chain This chain 33' is disposed edgewisc and isdirected around the sprocket'wheels 34 and 35 positioned adjacent theopposite end portions of the runway.

The sprocket 34 is carried by a vertically disposed shaft 36 rotatablysupported by an outboard bearing 37 while the sprocket 35 is rotatablysupported by-an upstanding bearing 38 carried by the adjacent side ofthe boxB. The second-or outer stretch of the chain 33 remains cxteriorlyof the box B and passes inwardly over the idler sprockets 39 supportedby the bearings 40- carried by'the rear portion of the box B. The chainbetween the idlers 39 is engaged with the sprocket wheel 41'keyed to avertically disposed shaft 42. The shaft 42 is rotatably supported by thebearings- 43 extending rearwardly from-the receiving-- end of the box B.

The lower portion of the shaft 42yis in driven connection by the chain44' or the like with a second vertically disposedstub shaft 45 supportedby suitably arranged bearing 46. The shaft 45 is in driven connection asat 47 with theshaft 1621s is believed to be clearly illustrated inFiguresl, 4'a11d 5 of the accompanying draw ings. The shaft 42 extendsabove the sprocket; 41: and loosely mounted for rotation upon saidextended portion 43 is a disk D provided in its peripheral portion witha radially disposed open slot :0, tendingv within the slot inandpivotally engaged therein as at 46 is an end portion of a clutch arm47 wh-ich-whenin its lowcred posit-ion engages betweenadjacentupstanding lugs 48- carried by. the peripheral portion of the sprocket41 outwardly of the disk D whereby the disk D will be caused to rotatein unison with the sprocket 41. lVhilc thearm 47 may drop by gravity Ifind it of advantageto constantly urge said arm downwardly through theinstrumentality of the spring Z) having one end portion secured as at 49to the disk D while the opposite. or free end portion'of said spring 48contacts from above with the arm 47.

The arm 47 is of a length to extend beyond the periphery of the sprocket41 when in its lowered position, saidextended portion of the arm 47being-adapted to engage and ride upwardly. upon the. cam block 50. Thecan block 50 has. its high llO point so arranged as to raise the arm 47suliiciently to free the same from lugs 48 so that the sprocket wheel 41may rotate independently of the disk D.

As the arm 47 rides up the cam block 50 and when it reaches the highpoint of said cam 50 said arm contacts with an outstanding stop member51 carried by the adjacent end portion of the box B whereby the disk Dis positively held against rotation with the sprocket 41 until the arm47 has been permitted to drop between a pair of adjacent lugs 48.

The cam block 50 is carried by the upper end portion of a verticallydisposed rock arm 52 carried by a suitably supported bracket 53. Thepivoted portion of the arm 52 is continued by an extension 54:terminiating in an outwardly directed arm 55, said arm 55 extendingbelow the chain 33 and intersecting the path of travel of a trip member56 carried by and suitably positioned upon the chain 33.

When the member 56 contacts with the arm 55 the continued travel of thechain 33 will result in swinging movement of the arm 52 to an extentsuflicient to cause the cam block 50 to entirely pass from below the arm47 whereupon said arm 47 will be free to drop for clutch or lookingengagement with the sprocket All. The rear wall of the box B immediatelyadjacent the runway 29 is provided with a slot 57 extendingsubstantially entirely across the box B and through which is adapted topass a plunger or push bar 58, said plunger or bar 58 being hereindisclosed as constituting an angle iron. Rigidly secured as at 59 to oneend portion of the plunger or bar is a pitman 60 which is operativelyengaged with the upstanding wrist pin 61 carried by the disk D.

The opposite end portion of the plunger or bar 58 has pivotally engagedtherewith, as at 62, a rigid link 63 the opposite end of said link beingpivotally engaged as at 64 with an outstanding arm 65 carried by therear portion of the box B. During the period the disk D rotates theplunger or push bar 58 will be caused to pass across the runway 29 andin a manner to force from said runway 29 upon the adjacent portion ofthe upper stretch of the conveyor C the cans or containers which havebeen carried within the box B through the instrumentality of the chain33 and as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 4:.

The cans or other containers are placed upon the extension 30 of therunway 29 after leaving the filling machine and as said cans orcontainers pass or travel through the box B the contents of said cansare preheated and preferably by action of steam. One or more steam pipes66 are arranged within the box B and extend longitudinally thereof at apoint below or in close proximity to the upper stretch of the conveyorC, said pipe or pipes directing up wardly jets of steam, theconstruction of the conveyor readily permitting said steam to passtherethrough so that an effective preheating of the contents of the cansor containers within the box B will be as sured.

The device is also adapted to be employed as a cooker and when soemployed the screen 67 is arranged within the box B and through whichthe conveyor G is directed as is clearly illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, said screen having depend ing side walls 68 terminating intheflanges 69 disposed on a downward and inward incline. The side walls68 are imperforate while the top wall of the screen 67 is provided withminute openings 70.

The screen 67 when applied extends substantially the entire length ofthe box B and has its side walls 68 spaced from the side walls of thebox B with the top of the screen also spaced from the top of the box B.When the screen 67 is applied and the device adapted to be used as acooker, the bottom of the box has a supply of water placed therein thelevel of which terminating above the pipes 66 and preferably about twoinches. As is illustrated in Figures 11 and 12 it is to be noted thatthe side pipes 66 are arranged outwardly of the screen 67 and betweenthe side walls 68 of the screen and the adjacent side walls of the box.The steam discharging from the side pipes 66 and the water brought to aboiling point the force of velocity of the steam discharged from thesepipes will force the water up the sides 67 and over and across the topof the screen 67 resulting in a hot water spray over the cans as theypass through on the conveyor C.

Certain of the pipes 66 underlie the con veyor O and serve mainly forheating the water although the jets discharged from these last namedpipes result in a slight raising of the adjacent portion of the water tomeet the spray that is delivered downwardly from the screen. The flanges69 provide means tofacilitate the creation of the requisite suction tocarry the water upwardly of the sides 68 of the screen 67. In order thatthe water may be properly arranged within the box 3 I provide said boxwith transversely disposed walls 71 positioned adjacent the receivingand delivery runways.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that anexhaust box constructed in accordance with my invention is particularlywell adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility withwhich it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obviousthat'my invenlion-is susceptible of some change and modification without-cleparting from the'iprinciplcs and spirit tbereofgand' for this reasonI do not Wish to'be understood as limiting myself to-the'precisearrangement and formation of the several parts herein -'shown incarrying out 'my invention in practice except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim An a-pparatus'for preheating cans of fruit or the'likeybeforesealing the cans comprisin-g in combination, anexhaust box, a conveyortravellingtherethrough, a runway extending Within the boxadjacenttoan-end of the conveyor and transversely of-said conveyor, a memberdisposed transversely of-the conveyor andoutwardly of'the-runway; saidmember-being movable transversely ohtherumvay, a rotatable-memberpositioned adjacent to' the box, and beams operatively-engaged with one'end portion of the member and-with-the rotatable member, an outstandingarm'carried by the boX- adjacent the opposite-end ofthe member, a rigidlink pivotally engaged-With the outer end portion of said arm andthe-member, and means for rotating the rotary -member, such rotationofthe rotary member intermittently moving the first named member acrossthe runway, the movement of said first named member across the runway inone direction forcing the cans upon the runWaywvithi-n the boxuponthe-conyeyor.

Intestimonywhereof I hereunto affix my signature.

' CLIFFORD J. *PUGHi

